The present invention relates to a headlamp for use in a vehicle which includes on the back surface side of a lamp body an opening for replacement of a bulb serving as a light source inserted into a reflector and, in particular, to a headlamp of a type that the bulb is fixed to and held in a bulb insertion hole formed in the reflector by a set spring which can be simply operated with fingertips.
As a conventional headlamp of this type, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, there is known a structure in which a bulb insertion hole 3 is formed in the back top portion of a reflector 2 stored in a lamp body 1 and an opening 5 for replacement of a bulb is formed in the back wall of the lamp body 1 opposite to the bulb insertion hole 3. In the peripheral edge portion of the bulb insertion hole 3, there is provided a set spring 6 which is used to fixedly hold a bulb 4 in the bulb insertion hole 3. That is, the set spring 6 can be swung about a hinge 7 provided in the peripheral edge portion of the bulb insertion hole 3, and a hook 8 for securing the set spring 6 is projectingly provided at the position of the peripheral edge portion of the bulb insertion hole 3 opposite to the hinge 7. The set spring 6 is secured to and removed from the hook 8 by use of fingertips inserted from the opening 5, then the bulb 4 can be replaced through the opening 5. In FIG. 13, a rubber cover 9 is mounted between the cap rear end portion of the bulb 4 and the opening 5 for closing the opening 5. The cover 9 can be mounted and removed in a simple manner when replacing the bulb 4.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional headlamp, because the opening 5 for bulb replacement is generally formed in the substantially central portion of the back wall of the lamp body 1, when replacing the bulb 4 while a lamp a is being assembled to a vehicle body b, as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. 13, an operator c must take a forced unreasonable attitude in which the head of the operator c is pushed into such a position as allows the operator c to see the bulb insertion hole 3, which results in a very poor efficiency in the bulb replacement operation.